The H’Art of Giving

Did you see this in the Fall ’24 Quarterly?

It’s on page 81. Thanks, Jill!


PROGRESS UPDATE  – 
Fund Team Coordinator Report (September 2024)
The Fund Team:

A Very Successful FY2024 – The Perfect Precursor to our 50th Reunion Year

Thank you to the 50% of our class who donated to Smith last year, a high percentage for a non-reunion year! The results for fy2024 (year ending 6/30/24) speak for themselves:

 $600,730 was raised in total, far more than our goal of $500,000!  

The Centennial Class of ’75 Endowed Scholarship Fund now has $1,173,867 towards our goal of $2 million by our 50th – our legacy to future students.

Our donation total for the last four years is $4,576,751, on our way towards our 50th reunion goal of $7.5 to $10 million (exact amount is still being finalized).

This total includes documented Reunion Bequest Intentions (“RBIs”) from 19 classmates of $2,489,709!  

If you have not already done so, now is the time to dig deep and consider a stretch gift or pledge in honor of our 50th.  To contribute to The Centennial Class of 1975 Endowed Scholarship Fund, or to donate otherwise, go to smith.edu/giving, call 1-800-241-2056, or mail a check to Smith College Gift Accounting, 33 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063. As Thanksgiving approaches, please consider a gift in memory (or honor) of a classmate!

MakeAGift

What gifts are included in our class gift/reunion class gift?

All contributions to the college are included in the class gift totals.  Follow your passion and donate to Smith College in any of the following Funds: 

  • Smith Fund (General support which is usually scholarship aid)
  • The Centennial Class of 1975 Endowed Scholarship Fund
  • General Scholarship Aid Fund
  • Ada Comstock Scholarship Aid Fund
  • International Students Scholarship Aid Fund
  • Neilson Library Fund
  • International Programs Fund
  • Equity and Inclusion Fund
  • Faculty Support Fund
  • Career Services Fund
  • Curricular Support Fund
  • Facilities Fund
  • Student Life Fund
  • Study Away Fund
  • Sustainability Fund
  • Emergency Fund for Students of Color
  • Friends of the Library
  • Friends of the Botanical Garden
  • Friends of the Art Museum
  • Friends of Smith Athletics

Some types of bequests, such as charitable gift annuities, count towards the class gift.  Fifty percent of other bequests, if they are $10,000 or greater, will count for our 50th Reunion gift. 

What are the giving categories?

  • Gifts of any amount are welcome and very much appreciated. All gifts count towards the participation rate and class gift, no matter how large or small.
  • Grecourt Society– People who have included Smith in their estate plans in any amount.  For more information, go to http://www.smith.plannedgiving.org .
  • Smith Stars– People who have given to Smith for 5 or more consecutive years.

All other Smith College giving opportunities are also available at this site. Remember, all gifts to whatever designation you select count for our total 50th reunion gift. 

To see the full panoply of giving options go to smith.edu/giving. 

  • To make a gift by telephone or to make a pledge, call 1-800-241-2056, option #1, M-F, 8:30am-4:30pm ET,
  • To make a gift by mail, send a check to Smith College Gift Accounting, 33 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063.
  • To make a gift of stock,call 800-526-2023, option #5, or 413-585-2681 during business hours, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • To make a gift by means of one of several other vehicles such as through your will, from your IRA or with an annuity that pays a fixed income for life, call 800-241-2056, option 4 or go to http://smith.plannedgiving.org/smith/giving/1.html
  • To become a member of the Grécourt Society, the society that honors individuals who have indicated that they are remembering Smith in their wills, IRAs, life insurance or other estate planning documents, go to http://smith.plannedgiving.org.
  • If it’s easier, just reach out to me, Jody Angevin, Fund Team Coordinator
    781-640-4846, or jodyangevin@gmail.com 

SPECIAL GIFTS

Happy Birthday-and-a-Half, Classmates! Many of us have turned 70-1/2 or are about to, so it’s time to think about the best way to fund your 50 th Reunion gift! You could direct your IRA custodian to send up to $100,000 per calendar year directly to Smith as a Qualified Charitable Distribution or you could send a one-time gift of up to $53,000 from your IRA as a Charitable Annuity and create a lifetime income stream (currently 6.3%). Either gift can go to the Smith Fund or our class’s endowed scholarship fund. So easy-peasy! Talk to me for more information, Sam Samuels in the Development Office ssamuels@smith.edu or go to https://smith.plannedgiving.org/new-incentives.

Ann Sanford, Special Gifts Chair
419-297-5971, annies75@aol.com

PLANNED GIVING

Planned giving also supports Smith.  Wills, trusts, IRA’s and insurance policies are some options.  These can be unrestricted or made to the Class of 1975 Endowed Scholarship fund, or split.  It’s an easy process, and if you go to https://smith.plannedgiving.org or attend webinars (see schedule below), you’ll find all the information you need. Or email me for help!

Charitable Gifts Annuities – (Recording here), Passcode: ^5v*Cue4
   Powerpoint Milestone Classes 3-4-24 Annuities

Planned Gifts by Retirement Assets (Recording here), Passcode: B0bA^Ui!
Reunion Bequest Intentions  (Recording here)
 Powerpoint Milestone Classes 1-10-24 Bequest Intentions

Jill Nexon Berman, Planned Giving Chair
305-790-7999  jillnberman@gmail.com